BOCA'S MANAGER TO KEEP HIS JOB

One week after announcing he would retire early, City Manager James Rutherford changed his mind Monday and agreed to remain on the job until March l986.

It is the third time in as many months that he has changed his mind.

Rutherford said he decided to retain his $58,000-a-year job after receiving dozens of phone calls, letters and messages from Boca Raton residents urging him to stay.

"I came into work in the morning (Monday) with my mind pretty well made up and by late morning I had changed my mind," he said. "I wonder if I'm just too close to the city and if I take things too personally."

Last November, Rutherford had also indicated he wanted to resign, according to Councilman Richard Robinson.

But Robinson and other council members convinced him to stay then.

Last week, citing council criticism of his handling of police union contract negotiations and financing for a beach restoration project, Rutherford again said he would leave.

This time the manager, a 30-year city employee, said he would retire in August, a year earlier than he had originally planned.

The council, however, passed an unusual resolution giving him a vote of confidence. The council also unanimously agreed it had no problems with Rutherford's administration.

"I think it's very good for the entire city that he made that decision," Councilman Al Edmunds said after learning Rutherford had agreed to stay until next year. "I've never had the slightest problem in working with him at all." Rutherford, 53, said Monday he won't change his mind again.